How to Choose What to Wear for your Adventure Elopement

 You’ve decided to elope, and you want to adventure, awesome!! I couldn’t be more happy for you! However, now may come the hard part: knowing what to wear for your elopement.

Depending on what kind of activity you choose to partake in may greatly affect what kind of dress and shoes you want to wear. There are a couple of things to think about:

For Dresses:

A light, flowy dress such as this one was easy for walking in the river valley

-       What is the length like? Will it be too long to walk in that you will trip over it? Will it be a hazard with extra length? Consider what kind of terrain you will be walking on, whether its cement or hiking up a mountain. Wherever you go you are likely going to be walking somewhere, it is best to make sure that you are comfortable walking in it.

-       How form fitting is it? While you might love the style of a mermaid dress, it might not be optimal for whatever adventure you chose for your day. Make sure that whatever style you choose has enough give for you to move comfortably in it. Many adventure brides choose a looser, flowy dress to ensure they can move appropriately and still have fun doing whatever they chose for their day. If there is a style you really love but do not feel it is best suited to the adventure you chose, consider getting an alternate dress or outfit, and wear the dress of your dreams for the ceremony instead.

This light dress made it very easy for the bride to hike, and even run without any restraint.

-       Is your dress suited for the conditions? If you will be heli-touring up to the top of the mountain in the middle of winter, a flowy beach dress will likely leave you shivering and miserable shortly into your elopement. The opposite is also true; if you choose a heavy gown for your beach elopement, you will be wishing to take off as many layers as possible as soon as the sun comes up. Consider temperature and weather conditions for your dress.

-       The ultimate question: Do you love it? You don’t have to spend multiple thousands of dollars on the dress of your dreams – many brides don’t. But that doesn’t mean you should buy a cheap dress just to save a buck if you don’t love it. The beautiful photos your elopement photographer takes of you on your wedding day aren’t going to look beautiful to you if you don’t feel beautiful, so make sure you choose a dress you are happy with.

Dress Designers for Adventure Elopements: Check out All Who Wander by Essence of Australia for beautiful, light wedding dresses perfect for adventure elopements.

Shoes!

As you might guess, 6” high heels are pretty much a guaranteed no unless you have even, solid ground for the entirety of your day, so unless you are set on having a pair of beautiful shoes for your elopement, you don’t have to think too hard about what to wear on your feet.

This bride wasn’t afraid to get married in her hiking boots!

Keep it simple, what would you normally wear for the activities you plan on doing? Unless you have a really short dress, chances are your shoes won’t even be visible, and comfort and safety is much more important than safety when out and about. So if you are going hiking, wear your hiking shoes etc. And if it is really important to you to have a nice pair of fancy shoes to get married in, bring a second pair to change into when you get to where you are going.

Over-layers

While the black jacket didn’t match their attire perfectly, the bride was sure happy she had it when it started to snow on top of the mountain!

If you are eloping in Canada, especially in the Rockies, and you have been here for any period of time, even just long enough to check out the scenery, you may have realized that the weather can change in an instance. Sunny, cloudless skies can become snow storms, calm cloudy days can suddenly become torrential downpour. It is always best to be prepared for any change of weather.

While you might not be able to see, this bride had bright blue leggings underneath her dress to help keep her warm!

Always bring a second layer to cover up if it gets cold. Even if it is your old jacket, having the option to warm up will be wildly appreciated if the weather chooses not to cooperate. That said, wearing leggings under your dress is perfectly acceptable, gloves can be stylish, and hats can look beautiful to protect you from sun or rain if needed.

Long story short, my advice is to choose functionality over fashion when it comes to your adventure elopement! No day is fun if you spend it uncomfortable or in pain, or even worse if something serious happens resulting in injury from your fashion choices. Come prepared for any weather, and bring your favorite wedding attire to change into if you choose. No matter what, your day will be amazing, and at the end of it all, your partner and you aren’t going to remember every accessory you wore, but they will remember how you made them feel!